Crystallisation of magnetron sputtered amorphous Si_1−xC_x films (x = 1/3) studied by grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry

Abstract

The crystallisation of amorphous Si_{1− x} C _x films (x = 1/3) produced via magnetron sputtering on silicon substrates was investigated. Grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry was used to analyse the crystalline precipitates obtained after annealing at temperatures between 1200°C and 1350°C. After annealing times of 15 h at 1200°C and 15 h at 1350°C, crystallisation of SiC is complete. The average crystallite size, d, was determined using the Scherrer equation. The rate constants for the initial growth of the crystallites were determined by straight line fits in the d − t diagrams (t being the annealing time), which obey the Arrhenius law. The activation enthalpy of 4.0 ± 0.7 eV is, within error limits, the same as that found for the growth of silicon carbide crystallites in magnetron sputtered Si_{1− x} C _x films (x = 1/2).

Keywords:

• magnetron sputtered SiC film
• crystallisation kinetics

Acknowledgements

We thank E. Ebeling for the sample surface preparation and M. Rudolphi and H. Baumann for the RBS measurements. Funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) is gratefully acknowledged.